The purpose of this review is to help people having a right attitude toward the health effects of expo-sure to extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields. In this paper, epidemiological studies and animal studies in vivo were reviewed in order to evaluate the health impacts of exposure to ELF electromagnetic fields. The results show that the association between ELF electromagnetic fields and the risk of tumors as well as non-tumor health effects is very weak even uncertain.

Objective To study the chemical constituents of the petroleum and chloroform extracts of Galla Chinensis.Methods Using chromatography on silica gel column and thin-layer chromatography to isolate and purify the compounds;using spectroscopy methods to elucidate their structures;using double dilution to screen antibacterial activities on Fusarium oxysporum.Results Ten compounds were isolated and identified as 2-hydroxy-6-pentadecyl benzoic acid(Ⅰ),4-(pentadec-8-enyl) phenol(Ⅱ),plamitic acid-1,3-dipropyl ester(Ⅲ),?-sitosterol(Ⅳ),pentacosane(Ⅴ),4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzoic acid(Ⅵ),plamitic acid(Ⅶ),lauric acid(Ⅷ),myristic acid(Ⅸ),and gallic acid(Ⅹ).Conclusion Compounds Ⅰ-Ⅵ are obtained from Galla Chinensis for the first time.Compound Ⅰ shows moderate inhibitory activity on F.oxysporum.

Objective To discuss the effectiveness of implementation of blending learning in teaching of Fundamental of Nursing.Methods 234 nursing undergraduates were divided into the experimental group and the control group.The experimental group adopted blending learning method,while the control group used traditional teaching method.The final term exam and technical test results were compared between two groups.Results Students' practice scores in the experimental group were higher than those of the control group.In the experimental group,about 90.2％ undergraduates accessed learning resources through online teaching platform,82.4％ students considered that their nursing skills improved and 78.4％ students thought that their self-learning capacity strengthened.Conclusions Blending learning gives students a potential time,environment and recourse to learn.By integrating in-class and after-class studying,undergraduates' self-learning ability and nursing skills improved.

Objective To characterize the expression of surfactant protein A (SP-A) in normal and acute pyelonephritic rat kidneys and to study the correlation of infection and inflammation with SP-A expression. Methods Twenty-one rats were randomly assigned into three groups: control, sham operation and pyelonephritic group. HE staining was used to determine tubulointerstitial inflammation. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to determine the mRNA expression and protein level of SP-A. Immunohistochemical staining was used to label the localization and intensity of SP-A expression in kidney tissue. The correlation between intensity of SP-A expression and interstitial inflammation was also evaluated. Results In pyelonephritic group, tubulointerstitial inflammation was more prominent than that in control and sham groups (54.3?11.5,6.4?1.4, 8.6?1.9,respectively). RT-PCR and Western blotting revealed that SP-A expression was up-regulated in pyelonephritic group (in mRNA level: 2.2+0.58, 0.9?0.25, 1.1? 0.30; in protein level: 0.45?0.09, 0.24?0.05, 0.26?0.05, respectively). Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that SP-A expression was mainly localized on epithelial cells in outer medullary and collecting tubules in normal group and sham group, but strong staining extended to collecting tubules in pyelonephritic group. The tubulointerstitial inflammation score was positively correlated with the intensity of SP-A expression (r=0.67,P

Objective To investigate the role of surfactant protein (SP)-A and SP-D in urinary tract infection mouse model,and evaluate the effects of SP-A and SP-D absence on urinary tract infection.Methods SP-A and SP-D double knockout (SP-A/D KO) mice were made.SP-A/D KO and wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 female mice were used for this study.The expression of SP-A and SP-D in kidney was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC).The levels of p-p38 and p38 protein in kidneys were measured by Western blotting.Uropathogenic Escherichia coli or buffer was delivered into the bladder of female mice.At 24 and 48 h after inoculation,CFU of Escherichia coli in the kidney and urine of the treated and control mice were measured.Histological,cellular and molecular analysis were performed by several methods of H/E staining,IHC and Western blotting.The effects of SP-A and SP-D on bacterial growth were studied in vitro.Results SP-A and SP-D in kidney were located in the proximal tubules and collecting tubules.Compared with WT mice,infected SP-A/D KO mice with UPEC had higher CFU in kidneys and urine at 24 h and 48 h,increased inflammatory cells infiltration in kidneys (P＜0.05).Compared with WT mice,SP-A/D KO mice had higher p38 MAPK phosphorylation levels in kidneys (P ＜ 0.05).Growth of Escherichia coli was greatly inhibited by both SP-A and SP-D (P＜0.05).Conclusions Both SP-A and SP-D are expressed in kidney.SP-A and SP-D can attenuate UTI induced by UPEC which may be through inhibiting bacterial growth and modulating renal inflammation.

Objective To compare the efficacy, toxicity and later period complications of Cf-252 neutron intracavitary brachytherapy(IBT) combined with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with those of EBRT alone in patients with esophageal carcinoma. Methods Eighty-six patients were randomized into 252Cf neutron IBT and EBRT group (intracavitary group: 43 patients) and EBRT alone group (external group:43 patients). The external group was treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy(3DCRT) or conventional radiotherapy of 70 Gy in 7.0 weeks using Elekta Precise medical linear accelerator. The EBRT in intraeavitary group was as same as external group, except the total dose was decreased to 60 Gy in 6.5 weeks. For IBT, the applicator with special water bursa was settled to the esophageal lesion through the mouth. The dose calculation point was 10 mm far away from the source and 1-2 em cranial-caudally from the tumor margin. 252Cf braehytherapy was delivered 3-4 fractions at 4 Gy per fraction per week. In intracavitary group, EBRT was begun on the second day of IBT. EBRT and IBT were not given on the same day. Results After the treatment,the esophageal stricture was relieved earlier in intracavitary group than external group.Six patients in intracavitary group who had drinking obstruction symptom could eat liquid food after esophageal balloon dilation, one fraction of 252 Cf neutron IBT and 5-6 days of EBRT, and could eat semiliquid food two weeks after. In the third month, the complete response rate, partial response rate and no response rate were 33%, 67% and 0% in i ntracavitary group and 19% ,76% and 5% in external group, respectively. The overall response rates of the two groups were 100% and 95% ( χ2 = 4.32, P ＜ 0.05 ). The 1 -year local control rates were 84% and 70% (χ2 =4.57 ,P ＜0.05). The 1-year survival rates were 81% and 61% (χ2 =4.17,P ＜0.05 ). The rates of acute esophageal toxicity was 61% and 51% ( χ2 = 1.75,P ＞ 0.05 ). The acute radiation esophagitis was slightly higher in "BZ ]intracavitary group than that in external group, but the difference was insignificant. The late esophageal-cardiac stricture had no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions 252 Cf-252 neutron IBT plus EBRT, without increasing the toxicity,are better than EBRT alone.

OBJECTIVETo investigate changes in the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, heart, lung, and testes of rats after exposure to electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

METHODSEighteen adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham and exposure groups. The exposure groups received EMP at 200 kV/m for 200 pulses with a repetition rate of 1 Hz. The expression of TJ proteins (ZO-1, occludin, actin) in the several organs was examined by western blotting.

RESULTSZO-1 levels in the cerebral cortex decreased 1 h and 3 h after EMP exposure compared with sham group (P<0.05). No significant difference was observed for occludin and actin. ZO-1 levels in the hippocampus increased 1 h and 3 h post-exposure (P<0.05), and occludin decreased after 3 h (P<0.05); however, actin was unaffected. ZO-1 levels in the heart increased 3 h post-exposure (P<0.05), occludin decreased 3 h post-exposure (P<0.05), and actin increased 1 h and 3 h post-exposure (P<0.05). ZO-1, occludin and actin levels in the lung decreased compared with those in the sham group (P<0.05). ZO-1 and occludin levels in the testes decreased 1 h and 3 h post-exposure (P<0.05), but actin showed no significant change.

CONCLUSIONExposure to EMP altered the expression levels of TJ proteins, particularly ZO-1, in the organs of adult male rats, which may induce changes in barrier structure and function.

Actins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cerebral Cortex ; cytology ; metabolism ; Electromagnetic Radiation ; Gene Expression Regulation ; radiation effects ; Lung ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; cytology ; metabolism ; Occludin ; Phosphoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testis ; cytology ; metabolism ; Tight Junctions ; metabolism ; Zonula Occludens-1 Protein

OBJECTIVEWe examined alterations in the expression of tumorigenesis-related genes in the pituitary gland of rats exposed to electromagnetic pulses (EMP).

METHODSThe global gene expression profiles of the pituitary gland in EMP-exposed and control groups were detected by cDNA microarray analysis. We then validated and further investigated the reduced expression of two tumorigenesis-related genes, Pten, and Jund, by assessing their mRNA and protein expression by quantitative real-time-PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry in the pituitary gland of rats 6 months after exposure to EMP.

RESULTSEMP exposure induced genome-wide gene expression changes in the rat pituitary gland. There was decreased expression of the Pten and Jund mRNAs and proteins in EMP-exposed rats compared with in unexposed control animals.

CONCLUSIONEMP exposure alters the expression of tumorigenesis-related genes in the pituitary gland. These tumorigenesis-related genes are potentially involved in the development of pituitary gland tumors in rats.

Adenoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Animals ; Down-Regulation ; Electromagnetic Phenomena ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Pituitary Gland ; metabolism ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of electromagnetic pulses (EMP) on the apoptosis and transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGF-β3) expression of mouse testis tissue.

METHODSThirty-two male BALB/c mice were randomly and equally divided into one control group and three EMP treated groups, which were whole-body exposed to EMP at 200 kV/m with 100, 200, and 400 pulses, respectively. The control group received no treatment. The pathological changes and cell apoptosis in testis tissue were analyzed by TUNEL assay. The mRNA expression of TGF-β3 in testis tissue was determined by RT-PCR, and the protein expression of TGF-β3 was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.

RESULTSNo obvious pathological changes were found in testis tissue after EMP exposure at 200 kV/m with 100 and 200 pulses. However, after EMP exposure with 400 pulses, degeneration and shedding of testis tissue, accompanied by significant increase in apoptosis rate (P < 0.05), was observed. The RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot showed that the expression of TGF-β3 mRNA and protein increased significantly after EMP exposure with 400 pulses as compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONEMP exposure at 200 kV/m with 400 pulses increases the incidence of apoptosis and expression of TGF-β3 in mouse testis tissue, which is potentially one of the mechanisms by which EMP increases blood-testis barrier permeability in mice.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Electromagnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Testis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta3 ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the effect of pulsed magnetic radiation on BBB permeability of hippocampus in Sprague-Dawley rats at different exposure intensity.Methods A total of 72 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham exposure group,positive control group and magnetic field treatment groups (100,400,800,1 200 mT,30 pulses each group).At three hours after exposure,the morphological structure of hippocampus was evaluated by HE staining,the extravasation of albumin around microvessels in rat hippocampus was detected immunohistochemically,the EB extravasation around microvessels was observed with Evans blue (EB) fluorescence method,and the levels of BBB-related protein ZO-1 and Occludin in hippocampus were measured with Western blot assay.Results Compared with the control group,no significant change in the hippocampus morphology structure,the extravasation of albumin and EB around the microvessels were observed after the pulsed magnetic exposures.The protein levels of ZO-1 and Occludin had no changes in the exposed groups (P＞ 0.05) except that ZO-1 was significantly reduced in 1 200 mT exposure group (t =14.26,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Low-frequency pulsed magnetic field could not affect the permeability of BBB in SD rats but impairs the integrity of BBB at 1 200 mT.